The Curling Fan's Pocket Guide

The Curling Fan's Pocket Guide

Key plays and scoring for a surprisingly complex sport.

Jan 6, 2010

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A guide to curling

1. BACK LINE

2. TEE LINE

3. THE HOUSE

4. HOG LINE

5. THE BUTTON

6. THE HACK

7. By rotating their stones, players can "curl" shots around guard stones

THE RULES: Four-man teams curl for ten ends (like bowling frames) to position their rocks over the hog line and as close to the button as possible. The team with a stone closest to the button scores, but only those rocks closer than all the opposing team's rocks count. Got it?

SHOUT THIS: "Nice hit-and-roll!"WHEN: A curler takes out one or more of an opponent's well-placed stones, and his own stops in scoring position in the houseWHICH IS LIKE: Making an end-zone interception

SHOUT THIS: "Blank the end!"WHEN: A curler needs to clear the house with the hammer, the last rock in an end, to maintain a strategic advantageWHICH IS LIKE: Bunting to advance the runner

SHOUT THIS: "He's been throwing hoggers all night!"WHEN: A curler has repeatedly failed to clear the hog line with his shot, causing the errant stone to be removed from playWHICH IS LIKE: Hucking an air ball

SHOUT THIS: "This guy's totally off the broom."WHEN: A curler misses the mark set by his skip's broom (similar to a catcher holding his mitt as a target=)WHICH IS LIKE: A pitcher who's lost his release point

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